


The Downside of Victory

by SmoggyFogbottom



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Broken Families, Destroy Ending, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Mass Effect 3, Reunions, The Citadel, War Recovery, a little romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-08-19 03:04:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16526099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmoggyFogbottom/pseuds/SmoggyFogbottom
Summary: We are all acquainted with the heroes of the Mass Effect Universe, but what about those on the fringes of these titans? Welcome to stories of the regular folks in the MEU; a fanfic no one is asking for!!!! Posted to celebrate n7 day!!!





	1. Future Abstract

**Author's Note:**

> Armando-Owen Bailey and his daughter Madiha, have grown estranged from each other. After surviving the Reaper attack on Earth, staying on her home planet was too painful and Madiha made her way towards Inner Council space. Not wanting to bother her father for help, she travels to the newly built Citadel under a false identity. She does not hate him, but is not willing to face him yet. She justifies this by reasoning his high profile status forces her need for anonymity. She is unable to procure the job she wants as her education and skill belong to Madiha Bailey, not her alter ego, Maddie Hunter – top driver for the Citadel's economic delivery service, Delivery & Things.

How had her life come to this?

Madiha’s whole body wracked with pain and each breath felt like a monumental effort. The fall from the overpass had been cushioned by odious sludge and waste that had built up along the ledge below. The events of the past week had been so haphazard she was having difficulties piecing it together _despite_ the fact that she had lived it. Now she was lying at the bottom of a nearly three story fall, shocked that she had not died immediately on impact.

All of this started with taking a simple job. It hadn't even been a favour for a friend, she had just been too petty to drop a request that started as a prank. With the random assortment of things she poked her nose in, the threat of bodily harm and/or death was always a distinct possibility. Her recent inquisitiveness was not what she had expected to finally do her in. 

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light of this unused corridor, it became clear that her impact in the sludge had caused a sizeable displacement. Multiple pieces of detritus had risen on either side of her prone form. One of these items popped above the surface and rolled towards her, resting on the side of her chest. A human skull. A skull in late stage decomposition. She didn’t scream, but as she tried to move away from it, incredible pain stabbed through her chest and her side. Her mind grew foggy and she desperately fought for consciousness. Vaguely remembering basic medical training, she recalled something about focusing on a single point if fainting. She looked above and focused on the walkway, but her will wasn’t strong enough. The pain sharpened, twisting in a final stab as her mind shut down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I introduce you to Madiha Bailey, daughter of Armando-Owen Bailey, and all the terrible choices that have led her to this point in her life.


	2. It Had Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madiha Bailey receives an odd request.

The shrill door chime had not subsided. Madiha cracked open an eyelid and her gaze focused on the holo-display. Hell, it was too early for even the most industrious of individuals. The chime grew louder and more desperate. With an annoyed groan, she pushed herself up and out of her boozy slumber. This Nuisance needed to have the best damn reason for being at her door. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked several times before locating the pants she had discarded the night before. It took a herculean effort to slide back into the durable slacks. They were not a fashionable item of clothing by any stretch of the imagination, but they had deflected the odd talon and claw.

Sliding on the lights of the front hall, she pulled up the door-side display to see an anxious looking batarian standing on the other side, clutching a handbag to her chest. A turian was at her side, pressing the button on the frame of her door with urgency. Curious couple. It was the only reason she opened the door, rather than calling local security to clear them away.

“You both had better have a good goddamn reason for waking me up this early.”

They looked at her, at each other, then back at this short filthy human that barely filled the doorway. She realized too late that her shirt had noticeable stains ranging from spilled beer, sweat, and something that was an off green colour.

“You’re Maddie Hunter.” The batarian’s words could have been a question or a statement. It wasn’t her real name – but even if she was on speaking terms with her father, the name Madiha Bailey would cause too much trouble.

“Yeah, how did you get my address?”

They both showed hesitancy to answer. “C’mon, out with it. Don’t tell me you were busting down my door just to stand here like a pair of grazing gas bags.”

“Uh – I have a cousin in C-Sec. He recommended you and gave us your address.”

“What a little shit.” They both looked taken aback by her exclamation. “You spoke to Kaius?”

They nodded apologetically. A few doors down the hallway, Rasa poked his head out of his apartment, looking at the commotion with typical curiosity.

“Well, come in. No need to piss off the neighbours.”

She held the door open for them and they sidled into her cramped quarters, standing in the middle of a one room apartment, looking around at the small space much like a well-dressed person regards a mud puddle. Kicking the garbage to one side, she pulled two flimsy folding chairs towards the center of the apartment, angling them across from her bed. She was never this filthy, but a hectic schedule had prevented any maintenance or self-care and she didn’t feel the need to apologize for the state of her life to these two strangers. Gesturing to the chairs, she sat down on her bed. “So what does Cousin Kaius think I can do for you?”

“Uh, well – are you a private investigator?” The turian asked, taking caution while navigating the short distance to the chair. The batarian followed with a nervous energy.

“Is that what he said?”

“He implied that you were something of the kind.”

“I work for Deliveries & Things.”

They shared a stricken look. “This is a joke, right? A human joke-” The batarian squeaked.

“It most certainly is not.”

She had the misfortune of toiling her days away at the Citadel’s number one economical choice for delivery. Driving all over, she became part of the background and people did all sorts of nasty little things in plain sight. It would be too generous to say she _investigated_ things _privately_ , but if she saw shit going sideways, she would observe and report. It was a hobby that helped with the monotony of each shift. If Kaius had sent these ladies her way, it was doubtless he was retaliating. She had been avoiding him for Reasons and it had made him rather grumpy. Her constant teasing about being the better investigator seemed to have backfired - he always was threatening to send her the complaints he didn’t care about. What the hell was she supposed to do? Well she would not let him get the better of her, that’s for sure. He may have sent them over as a joke, but she would show him up – at least that was the plan.

Madiha picked up a datapad from a pile of old takeout trays. They sat in silence as a request form with the trademark Delivery & Things watermark opened onto the screen. “Okay, let’s start with the basics. Can I have your names?”

The turian cleared her throat, apparently having great faith in her cousin’s recommendation. “I am Aurila Varinex.”

The batarian’s hands balled into fists and she gave Aurila an unsure look before speaking.

“My name is Seta Bak’kar.”

Madiha typed their names into the appropriate box on the template. “Is this for business or recreation?”

“Business, I suppose.”

“Business name and address?”

“Education For All. 42A-1142 AA Upper Ward; Tayseri, Citadel.”

As she entered the name it auto-populated as a charity. Interesting, but she continued dutifully and silently filling in the form.

“Do you live in that area as well?” They both nodded.

After the invasion and the ensuing destruction of the original Citadel, the Council built a new station. Even though with enough effort the old Citadel might have been salvaged and repaired, no one trusted the thing. It didn’t help that with the extensive damage, fixing it would have a price tag equal to reconstructing. And everyone was positive it would betray them again. The powers that be were an unoriginal lot, they called the new station Citadel II and kept the names of the wards and various sections. These ladies had travelled quite a distance to get to her shoebox apartment in the lower Zakera wards. Explains why they were so desperate for her to open the door. No one from Tayseri would enjoy lingering in the dim light of a Zakera corridor. The kind of girls that would normally clutch their pearls and avoid the area with not so much as a pensive glance. Pearls. A frown pulled at her lips, annoyed that one of her dad’s idioms had wormed into her mind.

Sighing deeply, Mediha looked at them both. “Tell me what you told Kaius. I kinda want to know why he thought I was the right person for the job.”

It was clear on their faces they did not think she was the right person for the job, but she soldiered on.

“Our co-worker – he really is the reason the charity exists – he, um – well. We think something bad has happened to him.”

“And C-Sec won’t help?”

“Well it’s complicated. Uh – after our first report we filed they told us he called and said everything was fine. But we know it’s not. We know something bad has happened.”

She made a mental note to contact Kaius for more information. After she had cussed him out good and proper.

“Give me a name, any contact info you have, a description. Anything you think might be relevant.”

Seta, as impossible as it seemed, clutched her bag even tighter. “Why though? You’re just a delivery person?”

Aurila shot her friend a look that indicated she had inferred what was going on and that she would explain later. Unfortunately, Seta didn’t catch her meaning.

“Why did your cousin send us here?”

Madiha cleared her throat. “It depends, what is the problem this friend of yours finds himself in?” Cutting in before Aurila could speak, she wanted to control the conversation as much as possible.

“Well – it’s complicated.”

“Go on.”

“Uh, hm.”

Madiha struggled to hold on to the frustration that was building. Why were these gals so unsure of what they wanted to say? Working in customer service, at least in her experience, when people wanted something, they gave too much information and it became a job just to decipher the core of what they wanted.

“His name is Meri Herrera. Human.” Aurila continued. What an odd group this charity was shaping out to be. Truly education for all.

“He – I think he is your age. It’s hard to tell with humans, all of your cosmetics and aesthetic surgeries.”

As if the rest of the galaxy was immune to the insecurities of aging. Frankly, it was hardest to tell with turians or krogan, but Madiha kept that to herself.

“You have to understand, he was very enthusiastic about the work we were doing. Sometimes to the point of insanity. He was excited about the new economy and wanted everyone to understand that an education was all people needed to succeed.”

After the invasion, even the collected might of the Council could not reinvigorate the shattered economy. After many attempts, they did away with the old system. Some outer colonies still used it, but Council space hobbled forwards using some mish mash system that placed much emphasis on merit. It meant if one was well educated and worked hard, it guaranteed them a comfortable life. Everyone had to be involved in some civic endeavor if they wanted a place above the poverty line. It had not been a smooth transition and almost caused a civil war. And it didn’t need to be stated how devastating that would have been right after the Reapers. Not when there was a fledgling atmosphere of unification that just needed a chance to grow.

“But his attitude changed. He became sullen which is not like him. He stopped coming in to work, saying he needed to work from home.”

“When did this start?”

The turian’s words felt practiced, like she had experience describing her co-worker. How many times had she reported this to the police?

“Maybe a month ago. But he stopped coming to work and answering calls about a week ago.”

Shit. A week could mean anything. Anywhere. If she was going to follow through on what she assumed was a prank request, it meant an incredible amount of data sifting.

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t understand how someone like you is meant to help.” The batarian didn’t like her, it was clear in her voice, in her body language, in her expressions. It would be easy to say it was a racial thing – batarians and humans, they loved to hate each other – if it weren’t for her clear worry of her human co-worker. Madiha always endeavoured to be liberal and open minded, but that didn’t stop her from feeling a mild irritation that this batarian was living a better lifestyle than her and was openly condescending. The thought passed quickly, and it left a cold knot of shame in her gut.

“Like I said, I work for Delivery & Things.” She began with careful precision, biting her tongue from issuing a sharp retort. “If you have _something_ to _deliver_ to this person. I will find _them_ and give _them_ what you want them to have.” She stressed emphasis on certain words, there was no guarantee of succeeding, but she would give it her best go. The meaning clicked behind Seta’s numerous eyes and her posture relaxed.

“Oh – right.” Seta looked to Aurila, who nodded. “When C-Sec wouldn’t look into it we went into Meri’s office – and this was only after we tried everything else. We only wanted to see if we could find a way to get ahold of him. This – is what we found.” Seta handed her the bag she had been clutching and there was a moment where Madiha wasn’t sure if the other woman would release it. A few seconds of uncomfortableness passed before she let the blue canvas fall into her hands. From the hard edges and approximate shape, it felt like it contained a datapad. Pulling it out, she could see that a password had already been entered and had a series of files already opened. They were all letters addressed to M.H. – Meri Herrera.

_Dearest M.H. I saw you with that batarian last night. Not as pretty as the asari from the night before. At least those things have the face like a human. I would have thought our previous dealings had dissuaded you from your late night visits. You know the drill. If you want to keep your secrets, follow the usual instructions. Loving regards, K._

The rest of the letters were more or less the same, bland threats, hateful xenophobia, extortion and blackmail. She skipped ahead to the oldest letter in this folder to see it had a time stamp from a month ago. Around the time they said Mr. Herrera began acting strange.

“Ok, so it seems they blackmailed your co-worker over scandalous behaviour. Was he bonded with someone? Married?”

They both gestured that he was not. Strange.

“That’s the only – uh the only odd thing about Meri – he isn’t attracted to humans.”

“Obsessively attracted to other species.” Aurila interjected.

Madiha waited for further explanation, realizing too late that the scandal the author of the letters spoke of was simply that Herrera had a fetish for aliens. Her confusion was well-founded, it was fairly vanilla as far as fetishes went. The attraction to someone outside your own species was hardly considered to be sordid. In fact – most of society had gone to the opposite end of the spectrum and banging an alien was no longer the novelty it used to be. The old social mores had been coming apart even before the invasion. Afterwards there was a sense of ecstatic victory that filtered through all levels of society and species. There was the prevailing idea of _why wait? Do what feels good._ The sentiment still existed these ten years later, even she had become victim to it occasionally.

A memory surfaced with Kaius, clumsily clutching each other and stumbling into a cheap motel room. Betrayed by her own mind, what a little shit it was. She tried pushing the memory back to the recesses from where it had ventured from. Thank the fates they never had sex, but after a drunken admission of never seeing a human naked and her admission of never seeing a turian naked, they had both decided to cheerfully oblige. There were vague memories of drunken fumblings across each other’s bodies before they both passed out, the liquor getting the better of them. She eyed Aurila with a murderous glare as if her blood relation would send the feelings of irritability to Kaius. The turian coughed nervously and looked away.

“Seems like a weird thing to be blackmailed over. Would anyone care if they found out?”

“We don’t think so, but he was always private.” Aurilia shrugged, a human gesture that looked natural on the lanky turian. “Do you see now that this is strange?”

“Yes.” And odd that C-Sec was so dismissive of it. Blackmail was a crime. Her mind sorted through the scraps of information they had given her, filtering the relevant from the irrelevant. Nervous energy emanated from the two women. “Is it okay to keep this?” She waved the datapad at them.

“If you must. That’s not his though. We copied the information we could onto a new one.”

“Good enough. You’re IDs here please.” They stared blankly at the Delivery & Things form she had been filling out. “C’mon, I won’t be able to get passage to Tayseri if you don’t hire me.”

They entered their numbers as she reminded them to contact her if they remembered anything important. Entering their IDs would automatically send a message to their omni-tools containing her contact information and employee number.

“I’ll give you a shout when I find something.” She started to say, but they had already made for the door. Madiha stood in the middle of her apartment, a datapad in each hand. The headache began like clockwork, she could still feel the remains of the drunken buzz at the edges of her mind. Her delivery run at work exclusively kept her in the Zakera ward. She might be a little out of her element on this one.

Throwing the datapads on the bed, she made sure she locked her door before punching in Kaius’ ID. He answered right away, she could see he was wearing his uniform.

“Hey shit-face, what was that about?”

“Spirits.” His eyes bugged out and she heard muttered curses overtop of hurried footsteps.

“Spirits, Maddie.” He repeated. “Can’t you start a call like a normal person? My bosses were right beside me.”

“You didn’t need to answer it, dumbass.”

His mandibles twitched in frustration. Kaius was probably the closest thing she had to friendship. Of course, there were some elderly folks that lived on her apartment block and they had sort of unofficially adopted her, but it wasn’t quite the same.

“Why are you so angry?” He hissed.

“Why did you send those girls over to my house? At this hour!”

“It’s midday.”

Right. She had set her apartment to Earth/North America time to prepare for Moody’s visit.

“And now we’re even.” He interjected, before she could protest. “No more favours after this.”

In the past, every time she had reported something fishy, she had used it to leverage out of some minor by-law grievance. Kaius looked like he was nervously bracing for an argument. Unlike most fresh-faced C-Sec officers, he wasn’t full of braggadocios and arrogance. He was mild-mannered and as timid as a police officer could be on the Citadel. Preferred desk work and data entry than walking the beat. Odd attitude for a young adult getting into law enforcement, and singular for a turian.

“No more help with traffic indiscretions?” It wasn’t fair that delivery trucks had a lower speed limit than other vehicles. She might have occasionally gone over the limit. Just a little bit, though.

“Nope.”

They had met back when she was still trying to get a job at the Archives. A ‘networking’ event for people interested in new and improved ways of protecting data. Being the youngest two there and dreadfully bored, it hadn’t taken long for them to pair up and try to keep the other amused.

“Are you actually pawning your cousin on me or do you think there’s something worth researching? Is she even your cousin or did you just hire someone to annoy me?”

“Selling my cousin?”

“Update your translator, dummy.”

“C-Sec has done their due diligence. She is worried, but there's nothing I can do.” He whispered. “Mr. Herrera has contacted us several times and told us he is fine.”

“In person?”

“By holo. And never from the same ward.”

Madiha scratched her chin. “Weird. Ok, what can you tell me about him?”

“Uh – he is quite religious. Or at least involved with a religious community. We have monitored no personal fanaticism.”

Fucking C-Sec. Of course they were monitoring organized religion.

“Helps run a charity. Aurila likes him.”

That meant nothing to her.

“Can’t tell you anything more without breaking the law.” He made a face that she was believed was turian regret. "You know, I don't actually mean for you to look into this."

“Well thanks.” She rolled her eyes. “Guess I have a delivery to make.”

“Wait, wait – Maddie I wondered if y-”

Too late, she had already disconnected. 

Order of importance: First step, clean her apartment. Moody was supposed to be docking with the Citadel any day now. Her older brother was attempting to patch things up with their dad which made her palms sweaty and heart race. The fact that she had been on the Citadel all this time would surely be outed and she couldn't come up with a good excuse on why she had avoided her father for so long. 

Next step, hair of the dog. Queasiness turned her gut. Okay, first step would be hair of the dog. She grabbed a can of beer from her fridge and slumped down across her bed. To new work, she mumbled, toasting the emptiness of her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a bunch of fanfic on my computer that is sitting by itself because I'm terrible at becoming part of a fandom. I joined the Mass Effect community way too late but I've been sick recently so I'm trying to edit it all and post it here for n7 day.


	3. I Should Have Stayed Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madiha Bailey and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

_Delivery & Things Truck Depot_ \- _Early Morning_

 **Mission: Show Up Kaius** might be a dumb-as-shit plan, but Madiha wasted too much time on it to back down now. After cleaning her filthy apartment, she spent a productive day and a half sifting through piles of information on the extranet, putting that information technician diploma to use after all these years.

Now she stood outfitted in her standard work uniform – grey coveralls and a padded orange and green coat, ready to act on her curiosity. Garish and not at all flattering to her frame; it gave the same effect of being clothed in bubble wrap. It triggered nostalgia for kinder days; bundled up in snow pants and an oversized parka, scarf and toque – she and her brother chasing their parents around outside due to an impromptu snowball fight. The smile on her face faded as she savoured the memory. A great deal of surviving happened in the interim and they all drifted apart. She shook the memory away.

The outfit may have been unfortunate, but it happened to have the very recognizable colours and designs of an established delivery company. For all intents and purposes, they made her invisible. As a worker, she could blend into the landscape and be disregarded by most. The one advantage in her mission to show up her friend, _the police officer._ Maybe it was cockiness or an inflated self-importance, but Madiha had difficulites stepping down from a stupid challenge. If only she could figure out how to transfer that nerve into actual, life changing problems. Confront her father? Never. Enter a krogan drinking contest on a dare? Sure! Investigate the questionable whereabouts of a human? Yeah, definitely!

Out of habit she checked the parcel in her arms, the holo-tag blinked an address for Mr. M. Herrera c/o Education for All - 42A-1142 AA Upper Ward; Tayseri. The urge to investigate was strong. Unfortunately, an actual company employed her, which meant she couldn’t travel all the way to another ward without doing her actual job. All of this led to where she found herself now, entering the D&T depot at a very early hour. They had prepped the truck used for the Tayseri run and it looked ready to go.

“Hey Maddie!” Ramona, a young human girl stepped down from the back of the truck. “Desi is super pissed about you sniping his run.”

She hadn’t, not technically. It's not like she sought out the request.

“Is he around?”

“Nah. He’s still in the office complaining to Dad.”  _Dad_ happened to be an energetic batarian named Tark who let his daughter do whatever she wanted. 

Since Aurila and Seta “requested” her as their deliverer, it meant she drove the Tayseri run. On a normal day, that went to Desi and Ramona. Stowing the package in the front cab, she went about the process of entering the route into the truck’s nav-system.

“So … need any help?”  

“Nah, I’m good. It’s a cushy run so I’ll be fine.”

Ramona scrunched up her nose and pouted. Legally, humans had to be at least 17 to work with transportation, but the girl’s youthful features made it doubtful she was over 15.  Tark and his husband adopted her after her parents were killed in the war. They claimed human maturity was too hard to figure out. 

“You owe me, Desi will be terrible to work with now.”

“Sorry.” She looked at the younger girl in commiseration. “I gotta do some personal errands afterwards – I would be forcing you to stay after your shift.”

She scowled and kicked the side of the truck. “Fine. But you _owe_ me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks Ramona.”

“Whatever.” Her pout turned into a look of comical concern. “Oh, don’t forget the raffle is tonight. You can still buy tickets right up until 1600.” Ramona’s voice raised as the door sealed, still calling out as Madiha eased the truck out of the garage and into the nexus lanes.

She was certain that Tark rigged the raffle but had no proof. Her only conviction was that she never won. As she waited for the truck’s navigation to engage, she pulled up the unread messages on her omni-tool. First one was a general memo from the boss; little to no punctuation or grammar, as per usual.

 

_hey kids this weeks raffle prize is a half year package with kleen sweep home maintenance OR bubbles n fluff reminder that our monthly charity is Recycling the reapers for Resources. some systems still have pieces of those fuckers floating around deadline for raffle is today by 1600._

She shrugged and selected the link for five tickets. Maybe this would be her time. The next two messages were from Earth.

 

_Hi Maddie!_

_I can’t wait to see you! You’re practically a local by now, you’ll be able to show me the sights! Everything’s good here, mom misses you, she wants you to come back. Also, don’t get angry, but she and dad have been talking again, so he will find out about you if he hasn’t already. Also, also, please keep reading I WILL VISIT YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU DECIDE … but I think you should speak with dad. I can go with you if you want. Love you no matter what! Moody_

Madiha hit her head against the console of the truck, holding back the urge to run away as far as she could. A whole galaxy existed, why did she stick to Earth or the Citadel? Just hijack this truck, get on the first colony shuttle and leave her problems behind. No. **_No_**. Her goddamn new year’s resolution revolved around limiting bad life decisions. Running away only screwed up her life. This current life might be a mess, but at least it wasn’t actively getting worse. Sighing, she sat up and selected the last message. She didn’t recognize the ID, but it originated from the home planet.

 

_Madiha, I hope you are well. Your brother visits from time to time, you never told me he was a religious man. I could shock him with stories of the things you’ve gotten up to. I suppose I should thank his Allah for the company. I imagine you are proud of him. Many here appreciate his prison outreach program. But when can I expect a visit from you? I can’t stop thinking about you, especially today. Happy anniversary, my love._

 

The nav-system blinked, syncing with the nexus lanes. Madiha froze, a familiar dread clawing at her gut. Reading the note again, the sending details stated it had been forwarded to her current comm ID from the original. Panic dissipated, and regular breathing returned; he hadn’t discovered her new identity, the forwarding software had simply passed the message along. Taking deep breaths, she moved the message into a folder entitled _Dipshit._ Behind her a horn blared and the truck’s comm system crackled to life.

“C’mon Hunter, do you need someone to help you drive? Fuckin’ move!”

“Calm your tits, Larin.” She snarled back through the comm.

“Whoa-ho, someone’s in a mood-” She hit the mute button hard, her hand punching the hard surface of the truck below the holo-display. Speaking of bad decisions, this message was a reminder of her worst. Rowan Talbot. Most of her current problems were thanks to his influence in her life.  She had reached a point where her new life was taking over the old one; wrapped up in her regular day to day, she hadn’t been dwelling on the reason she ran to the Citadel in the first place. In fact, she hadn’t given it a single thought this entire week. Maybe? Possibly? Well, there _had_ been an uptick in boozy nights, perhaps her sub-conscious recalled her terrible choices and ex-fiancés. An unfortunate relationship, an unfortunate love, and a father who did everything to keep them apart. It had been a confusing time in her life, she and dear old dad had exchanged terrible, painful words, things that hurt regardless of whether they were true. Time and perspective lessened their hurtful effect, and now the only thing that kept her away was stubborn pride.

Sensing that Larin was sufficiently pissed off, she drove forwards and merged into the flow of traffic. A final blaring horn celebrated her departure and she watched as the automatic nav-system took over. There wouldn’t be a need to manually drive until she reached Tayseri.

Rowan’s message shook her. It wasn’t fair that even when locked up lightyears away, he could control her emotions. She wiped teary eyes with the sleeve of her coat.

“ _Mahmoud Bailey_.” She muttered her brother’s full name like a curse. Why the hell was he visiting her archenemy. Glaring at the package sitting next to her, this silly mission felt a lot more pointless.

* * *

 

_Tayseri Avenue, Level 31 - Midday_

 

Regardless of how shitty her day had started, Madiha worked the run with little difficulty. The genteel folk of Tayseri Ward were just as shit drivers as the idiots in Zakera, but they swore a lot less and didn’t threaten her with bodily harm when she made her stops. Her truck hovered alone, meters above the rush of traffic. Meri Herrera’s parcel sat beside her, the only drop-off she had left. She parked briefly to run through a few ideas – hopefully she could leverage this delivery into an inspection of his office.

 A non-descript car flew up from below and parked behind her truck. By reflex her hand flew to the pocket where she kept a multi-tool, as if that would do any good outside the breathable atmosphere. The vehicle remained silent and stationary for an uncomfortable length of time. They were the only vehicles hovering on this avenue, the never-ending stream of traffic moving meters below.

She powered up and started moving just as red and blue lights began flashing from the other car.

“Damn it!” Her viewscreen went opaque and a basic nav-system overlay spread across it, indicating that she was being moved to a nearby emergency landing pad. Dozens of truck drivers parked off to the side, why were they pulling her over now? Maybe Desi and Ramona had sabotaged something. As soon as she got the signal it was safe to exit, she popped open the doors.

“Hey, what’s going-” Died in her throat when she saw Kaius exit his squad car. He was in his C-Sec hard-suit. “What the fuck, man?”

“There’s been multiple reports of a broken-down delivery vehicle on the main avenue.” He said, full of cheer. “You’re lucky this is my area.”

A garbled noise of frustration escaped her lips before climbing back into the truck.

“Tayseri is a bit more civically minded than Zakera.” He continued, moving to stand outside her door.

“Nosy shits. Are you going to fine me for stopping in non-designated vehicle spaces?”

“No, of course not.” His voice was wounded. “I’m your helpful neighborhood police officer.”

As friendly as his banter might be, the gloom of bad decisions still hung heavy on heart.  She wasn’t in the mood.

“I feel like this should be something C-Sec looks into.”

“What, traffic issues?”

“Kaius.” She warned.

He sighed and straightened up. “Can I come in?” Even with the protective atmospheric bubble surrounding the landing pad, the air had a chill to it.

She nodded towards the empty seat next to her. Lanky like his cousin, Kaius filled up the cab with his ridiculous limbs.

“What is there to look into? We can’t investigate someone who tells us he’s not missing.”

“I don’t know, something’s weird about this.”

“Yeah, and I want to investigate it, but they have told me to drop it. Rili is pissed.”

Rili? Aurila she assumed. “So you sending them to me …?”

“Well, I wanted to get back at you for telling all those old biddies to call me _personally_ when they saw something suspicious and I wanted Rili off my back. What’s your saying – kill the birds?”

Madiha laughed and punched his arm. “Yeah, that's the famous bird killing phrase us humans use.” A couple of her more elderly neighbours felt that C-Sec didn't take them seriously so she gave them Kaius' work ID number. For weeks afterwards he fielded dozens of requests to arrest every shadow, litterer, loud music listener and curfew breaker in their vicinity. 

“And I suppose you are _okay_ at looking into things. Ever think about becoming a cop?”

“Never.” Despite herself she was touched by his small vote of confidence.

“Also, you weren’t answering your comm…” He stopped talking and became _very_ interested in inspecting the door controls.

“Yes?” She arched a brow and her lips curved into the shadow of a smile when he didn’t answer right away.  “Spit it out, Varinex.”

“Well you stopped talking to me. I figured sending Aurila would – well, I don’t ķnow – be something…” His voice trailed off towards the end. Was it possible for translators to convey a person blushing? Turians couldn’t but she was sure she heard it in his voice.

The beginnings of her smile froze in place and she wasn’t sure how to answer. She could tell him how her name wasn’t Maddie Hunter, it was Madiha Bailey. How she was a chicken shit and kept putting off confronting her dad until it became easier just to pretend he didn’t live an hour or two away. How her brother was coming to visit their father which meant dad would find out about her whether she wanted him to or not. Or how Kaius worked with her dad so she was sacrificing their friendship only to run away from her problems.

“You know how it is. Shit gets busy.”

He wasn’t happy with her excuse but too nice to say anything about it. A stab of guilt twisted in her gut and made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. She had been avoiding him and it made her miserable. Rowan and bad decisions weren’t the only things contributing to her recent booze filled nights.

“Doing anything later?” At this point her carefree days as a delivery woman were probably coming to a close, might as well have fun while she could.

“Eating. Maybe meeting friends.”

“Want to go out for dinner?” The idea of Rowan sitting in a prison cell, spending time thinking of her on the anniversary of their failed engagement left her uncomfortable. Going home alone with his message stinking up her comm system gave a perverse feeling of shared celebration.  

He looked surprised and then excited. “Yeah. Yeah! That would be fun.”

They sat in happy awkwardness for a moment and as always, she sought refuge in dismissive humour.

“So Officer Varinex, would this be considered bribery?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“What? No!” She had found the exact sore spot to press on the righteous turian. “Do you usually take invitations from people you pull over?”

“No!” Her comment had scandalized him. “Never. And you're not in trouble, this is a welfare check and if I hadn’t come out it would have been someone else anyways –”

“Okay, calm down.” She punched his arm in a good-natured fashion. She had a unique ability to send him into a worried panic, but she didn’t mean to be a bully. “I gotta run more errands but maybe in four hours? What about Noods?”

“Nice, they have a new dextro menu I’ve been wanting to try out.”

“Sure.” She shrugged. It was a slightly run-down diner at the start of the Zakera ward that specialized in noodles from all areas of the galaxy. Fun fact, in their evolution, every species in the Milky Way developed noodle dishes – a oft quoted selling point of the diner.

“I suppose I should try doing my job.” Kaius pulled up a form on his omni-tool. “Why were you stopped in the first place?”

She rolled her eyes. What was the point of having a friend in law enforcement if they wouldn’t give her a pass?

 

* * *

 

_Regus Office Building – Midday_

 

Last stop - Education for All. **Mission: Show up Kaius** no longer had the same silly allure, but she put in the work, might as well see what she could find out at Herrera’s place of work. The pretend package in hand, she stood in the middle of a dozen people, all crowded into the longest elevator ride imaginable. Right now, being short put her at a massive disadvantage. For the third time, she received an elbow to the side of her head. The gathered group shuffled as the doors opened to accept more people.

“C’mon, watch out.” She moved an asari’s arm away from her head. They glared, contempt in their eyes and it didn’t take long before the elbow knocked her temple again. Madiha closed her eyes and dug deep inside for the remains of whatever professionalism existed. Didn’t want Tark breathing down her neck again. Only one more floor to go. The door’s opened once again and a surge of people exited. A few frightening seconds elapsed where the tightly packed crowd lifted her off the ground, putting her at the mercy of the others to not be trampled. Tripping slightly, her feet returned to the ground as the group pushed passed the doors. They scattered to their own destinations while she brushed herself off and straightened her coat. She took a minute to inspect her head in the reflective surface of the walls. It felt bruised, but the asari’s elbow had only messed up her hair. Tidying up, she nodded at her reflection and marched down the hallway towards the offices of Education for All.

Their door opened onto a small receiving room, populated by a single turian sitting behind a desk and console. A series of holographic plants flickered around the edges of the room, casting the room in a pastel glow.

“Hi!” She plastered a bright and cheerful smile across her face. “I have a delivery for,” She made a big show of checking the label. “Meri Herrera.”

“ID, please.”

Madiha frowned. Weird. She pulled up the lanyard from around her neck that portrayed an image of her face alongside her name, and company. The turian scanned the entire ID and logged it into her system. “Just here to deliver a package, ma’am.”

Three men entered, a krogan and two humans, interrupting their conversation with their presence. They each scanned their omni-tools over a door that led further into the office and left without a word. All three had guns strapped to their belts. She had been to government buildings with looser security. There was _definitely_ something weird going on here. Aurila and Seta kind of undersold the mystery.  

The turian turned back to her, tapping the desktop impatiently. “You can leave it with me. Do you need me to sign?”

“I have to deliver it to his hands only, so just point me to his office.”

“He’s not in.”

“Okay – can I leave a message in his offi-”

“What did you not understand about him not being in?”

A small voice told her to leave, but she didn’t want her effort to be for nothing. Setting her face back into the cheerful customer service expression, she gave it another go.

“An old friend of mine works here – Rili - is it okay if I pop in and say hi?”

The turian looked at her blankly.

“Rili – Aurila Varinex?”

“Aurila no longer works here.”

Madiha frowned. “Since when.”

“You need to leave.”

“What do you mean she doesn’t work here?”

The turian pressed a button and one of the previous humans stepped back into the room.

“I told you to leave. Do you need to be escorted?”

She held up her hand, “No, no. I’m going.” She backed towards the door and out of the office. “Bitch.” She called out just as the doors shut and took off running towards the elevator. Bringing up the original order form, she selected Aurila’s contact ID. It went straight to a general message. Rounding the corner, the elevator doors were just starting to close and she squeezed between them, bowling over three unsuspecting passengers. All manner of dirty looks and curses were directed at her.

“Sorry, sorry. My apologies.” She smiled at everyone. The doors shut, and the elevator began its upward descent. Damn it. She reached over and selected the garage level. “Woops, my bad. I’m too focused on a schedule, guess I got on the wrong elevator-” The nerves were talking, but the others had already stopped listening. She spammed the recall button on Aurila’s ID until it finally went through. Thank god. For a brief moment, she imagined something sinister had happened-a side effect of watching too many crime thrillers. Turning around wouldn’t give much privacy, everyone would still be able to hear the conversation, but she did it anyways. Aurila looked like she was at home and had a mopey look. Hard to tell over the orange glow of the omni-tool, but her mandible and face plates looked a bit dull, like she hadn’t cleaned or polished anything for a day or two.

“I went to your work and they said you don’t work there? What’s going on?”

The turian shuddered. “They fired me and Seta.”

“Why? Does Kaius know?”

She shook her head. “I can’t talk right now.” The line went dead.

Turning back around, she stared at the disconnected message, dumbfounded. What had she stumbled across? Surely C-Sec couldn’t ignore this now? As much as she wanted to dine out tonight, she should probably report this to him. Pulling up his ID, she tried calling him to no avail. Even his work ID remained unanswered. Sighing, she picked up the undelivered parcel and watched as the elevator finally started its downward descent. She’d just have to tell him tonight.

 

* * *

 

_Noods Emporium – Late Evening_

 

Nood’s never closed and in her experience, having a quiet dining experience was impossible. Everyone seemed to be in a contest to speak over the table next to them. Zakera didn't have a concept of night or day and neither did the diner. However, being the end of the day for many shift-workers, they all seemed to have congregated here, pushing it to capacity.

She squeezed in between tables, fighting her way towards the counter.

“Sorry, sorry.” She murmured as her hips bumped into patrons along the way. It was busy, but so far there were only strange faces filling up the joint. She wasn’t late enough for Kaius to have left but looking around he was nowhere to be seen.

She sat at the diner counter as a cheerful asari sugar-pop song blared.

“Watcha ordering hun?” A VI decorated in flamboyant colours leaned forwards in what the programmer must have decided was an inviting pose.

“Lemme see.” She pretended to study the interface that popped up over the surface of the counter, but she knew she would order the same thing she always did. Selecting a stylized cartoon bowl of kimchi jjigae and ramen, they danced a jig until she swiped her omni-tool across the screen.

“Thanks, hun. It’ll be ready in no time.”

“Nice, um – has a turian come in recently? Name’s Kaius?”

“There are many turians that enjoy this establishment.”

Stupid VIs. The ones that belong to the restaurant industry supposedly were more perceptive, but they were still glorified pre-programmed messages.

“He’s a tall one, all limbs. Pale grey carapace, green face markings.”

“There are many turians here with green markings.”

She sighed. “Okay, thanks.”

In an effort to feel better about herself, she decided to dress up as well as she could. Currently wearing a turquoise sweater dress that she paired with striped tights and knee-high boots. Probably out of fashion by five years, but it was the nicest thing in her wardrobe. Her hair, as usual, could not be contained so it was left to hang loose down her back.

Several more songs played before a steaming bowl of the spicy stew and ramen was set before her.

“A drink, hun?” The VI leaned in closer, artificial bosom heaving.

“Sure, Biotic Slam please.”

Starving, she began picking away at the kimchi, turning to glance at the entrance ever so often.

Half way through the bowl and still no Kaius. Wiping her fingers, she pulled up his comm ID on the omni-tool. No one answered.

“Loser, where are you? I’m halfway through my noodles already.” She took another swig of her Biotic Slam. “I even had a shower, so you owe me.”

Where the hell could he be? In a day full of failure and regrets, this outing had been a guarantee for fun. Besides good times; she wanted to talk to him about her visit to Education for All, get his opinion. Maybe the conspiracy side of her brain was simply exaggerating her experiences. Who knows, maybe its normal for Tayseri to beef up security for their charities and non-profits. She called Kaius again, still nothing. Could be police business, she supposed. Wouldn’t he have called though?

The rest of the meal went by without even a fashionably late Kaius and she left the restaurant feeling the sting of a day full of failures.

 

_Citadel Transit Platform Z1 – Late Evening_

 

The cause of Nood’s popularity relied chiefly on its location – right around the corner from Zakera’s first transit platform. It hadn’t taken long for Madiha to make her way over to the waiting tram. Overpacked as usual, and unusually energetic. A group of people her age, albeit with a great deal more energy than her, were singing and hollering nearby. Unfortunately for her clothes, the only available seat was next to a thoroughly filthy batarian, dressed in the blue coveralls of a millwright. Sitting down, she tried surreptitiously leaning into the aisle to avoid getting her only nice clothes stained. Not even a few seconds passed before the comm light started blinking. Kaius’ ID, _finally._ What the hell had happened? Madiha had a sharp retort ready, but it died on her lips as Kaius’ face became visible. He looked miserable.

“Hey buddy, are you okay?”

“Uh – I – just wanted to - I’m sorry – I – ”

“Kaius,” She walked over to the door of the tram to hear him better. “Kaius, what’s wrong? What happened?”

He shook his head and didn’t reply. She had never seen him this upset; he had a soft heart and spent many of their boozy outings using her listening ear as a substitute therapist. Telling her how he put up a good face because his father and his father and his father were decorated C-Sec officers. How some days he could kid himself and believe this is what he wanted, but the feeling never lasted.

Like her, he had been a teenager during the Reaper War, too young to have started his mandatory military service. It left him with a complex, as if he needed to prove something to his family.

The tram door sensor beeped as it closed, a warning for her to move.

“Where are you?” She shouted over the noise. The doors stalled, waiting for her to get out of the way.

“Hey lady,” A human who reeked of terrible alcohol and overripe fruit stepped into her space. “Get in or out, stop holding us up.”

Others looked at her, at the omni-tool; curiosity clear in their eyes.

“Give me a sec.” Not the best idea to dismiss a belligerent drunk and in this case, it rubbed him the wrong way. Grabbing her arm, he attempted to drag her back into the tram. She yanked her arm away and he decided to pull her by the hair instead.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She lashed out, punching his gut ineffectually. The grimy batarian - her short lived seat mate - pushed his way over and gripped the man’s wrists.

“There’s no need for that,”

“Fuck both of you.” The human, whose bloodshot eyes now regarded both in contempt, bull rushed them out the doors of the tram. She lost her footing and found herself sprawled on her back, lying amongst a days worth of litter and grime. The batarian attempted to reboard, but without the obstruction the doors slid shut and they watched it leave as the human grinned and waved his goodbyes.

“Damn it.” She muttered. “Kaius?” No response. In the scuffle the line had disconnected. Standing and brushing herself off, she afforded her new companion a cursory glance.

“Thanks, for what it’s worth.”

Her attempt at gratitude did not mollify him. “Serves me right for trying to help.” He walked over to the ticket booth, grumbling about being late and how Bob better not shit and piss all over the floor. A pet? Hopefully. Madiha moved to a quieter corner of the platform and the comm system lit up. Kaius again.

“Sorry about that, I was just calling you back –”

“Are you okay Maddie? What happened?”

“I’m fine, just bumped into an impatient asshole.”

The tiny amount of background visible behind him looked rather similar to her own surroundings.

“Where are you?”

“I made a mistake, Maddie. When I got back to the station –” He choked back the emotion in his voice, furtively glancing about, not wanting any witnesses to his confession. “No – nevermind. I – uh, I’m just leaving Tayseri.

That meant he could be here in 15 minutes if he got on the collectors’ line.

“Don’t get on the express. Go collectors and I’ll see you in 15.”

“No, it’s okay-”

“I’m already waiting here Kaius, it’s not an inconvenience. See you soon.”

He nodded and the line disconnected. Madiha looked at her surroundings, nothing had changed, everyone was still skulking around, pretending to mind their own business, and she was restless with inaction. What had happened? Should she have kept him on the line? No, everyone would hear their conversation. The batarian punctuated this by voicing a loud complaint with the ticket booth VI, his words carrying across the platform.

She hopped back and forth as the temperature on the platform fell rapidly; a malfunction? Whatever the case, it was very uncomfortable, and she wished she was wearing her ugly, warm work clothes.

After a moment of waiting, she pulled up The Citadel Post on her omni-tool and their breaking news section populated with countless updates on an attack in C-Sec’s Tayseri division.

“Shit.” She muttered under her breath. The various reports did not offer much clarification. Someone had stabbed a seasoned turian officer multiple times. It was believed to be committed by another turian brought in for processing. The officer was alive but in critical condition. She read through every article gaining no more insight. Kaius had just parted ways early this afternoon, what the hell could have happened between then and now?

She moved towards the edge of the platform, wanting to ensure her spot ahead of the other commuters. It didn’t take long before the next tram stopped at the station. A mixed group pushed their way out while she and her new batarian friend pushed their way through the sea of leaving bodies. Poking her head in the door, she saw Kaius sitting at the end of the car. He looked so small out of his hard suit and slumped into the faded seats. His eyes were glued to the floor, his mind somewhere far away.

“Kaius?” He looked up and she pushed her way down the aisle, upsetting passengers as she did. She sat down and wrapped her arms around him. “I saw the news, I’m so sorry.”

He nodded and inhaled, bracing himself for whatever she was about to say.

“Do you want to talk?”

“Not right now.”

They squished together as the tram filled up and he held onto her arm.

“Want me to stay with you?” She whispered. She didn’t know how to help but didn’t want to be alone with her own regrets tonight. Surely that sentiment translated across species.

He nodded again. Madiha squeezed his hand and they rode together in silence.


	4. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actions have consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to the few reading this!  
> I have been so busy I'm only halfway through the next chapter. I didn't want more than a month to go by before updating this, so since I have a bit of time before Christmas I figured I'd write a snippet of things happening in the background of this story.

_Tayseri Ward, Human Cultural Centre_

 

The neon holos of the busy Tayseri avenue cast long lines of colourful light through the reinforced windows of the human cultural centre. In a corner of this complex, a darkened room was awash in the radiant dazzle of advertisements from companies and organizations desperate to sell their wares. Spartan in both furniture and occupants – the room contained a single individual sitting on a storage crate watching the skycars scream along their paths. He counted each one, desperate to push anxious thoughts out of his mind and in his hands he absently toyed with the cool metal of a destroyed Reaper, a shard he kept for good luck.

The boss wanted to discuss a matter of importance and in this line of work a good rule to live by was to provide results without being seen or heard. Being requested always tended to be a cause for concern. He tried not to think of the possibilities. Best thing he could do was remain calm. Sitting in the shadows with only the exterior lights to illuminate the room let him feel anonymous. Anonymity felt safe. _Counting cars, counting trucks, focus on the colours._

From the room’s only door came the sound of the seal releasing and it slid open.

“What the hell?” The figure muttered, and the soft orange glow of an omni-tool shone over the face of one of the many individuals employed here with security. They traced their fingers across the tool’s display and bright light flooded the room.

The previously solitary figure flinched and raised his hand to shield his eyes.

“Herrera? Boss wants to speak with you now.”

Meri Herrera rubbed his eyes and slid off the crate.

“Fuckin’ weirdo.” The guard muttered under their breath as he passed.

Herrera swallowed and made his way down a service corridor that buffered against the exterior wall and the centre’s display for Earth religions. The bodyguard followed at a close distance.

Rounding the corner, the sight of the human, Amel Willetts and the batarian, Brakia Sen’kor greeted them, they were conversing cheerfully together. The good cheer faded significantly as they caught sight of him.

“Mr. Herrera.” The human man stood with his hands on his hips, but the batarian remained sitting, with all four of her eyes narrowed. “I hired you for one reason. Do you know what that was?”

Meri looked to each of those gathered in this space, wondering what response would make them happy.

“I-I have connections-”

Too quick for Meri to gauge, Amel struck him, the force behind the blow sending him to his knees.

“I hired you because you are a nobody. No one pays attention to bland Meri Herrera.”

He grabbed the cowering human’s hair and pulled the head back.

“Y-you’re right, Amel. I’m nobody. No one knows anything.” Fearful, he groveled in an attempt to appease the larger man.

Amel pushed the image of a woman close to Meri’s face. The young woman had thick black hair barely contained by a clasp behind her head. She had light brown skin and striking blue eyes.

“Then why the fuck is this bitch looking for you?”

Meri searched his recent memory frantically, desperate to recall when he might have met this woman.

The image showed her wearing a puffy coat, orange and green in colour.

“I don’t know her! Is she – is that a Delivery & Things driver?”

His question earned him another blow, causing Meri to bite into his tongue. He squealed in pain and blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

“It took my people a few hours to break through costly as hell encryption, but this,” Amel shoved the image further into his face. “This little shit is Armando-fucking-Bailey's daughter and for some reason she has been all over the ward looking for _you_.”

Cold panic spread throughout his gut. “I-I-I,” He stuttered. “I have no idea who she is.”

Amel cuffed him twice up the sides of the head. Brakia finally stood and lay a hand on Amel’s arm.

“Babe.” She muttered and he took a few steps back, resting his hands once again at his waist.

The batarian knelt in front of Meri.

“You have your uses.” She patted him on the side of his face. “And you will continue to have your uses if you _take care_ of this.”

“What? What does that mean?”

She shrugged. “It means what you want it to mean. But we need to know why Bailey’s daughter is looking for you – and if you happen to be a loose end...” She pressed her fingers to his temple and mimed firing a pistol.

Feeling sick, he swallowed and nodded. “No worries, thank you – thank you. I won’t let you down.”

 


End file.
